JON COOPER

Nathan MacKinnon saved his best performance in the Stanley Cup Final for when it mattered most.

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t relinquish their stronghold on the Stanley Cup without a fight.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup after dethroning the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat celebrates aftger scoring the go-ahead goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Friday, June 24, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — If this is Ondrej Palat’s final playoff run with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he’s certainly making it count. A pending free agent with a knack for scoring big goals to go along with elite defensive prowess, Palat scored another big goal Friday night to keep the two-time defending champion Lightning alive in the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche. “He’s always the third guy talked about on this line,” Cooper said of Palat playing with Brayden Point and Kucherov. Paul praised him for what he delivers off the ice, and Kucherov knows well everything Palat delivers this time of year.

If this is Ondrej Palat's final playoff run with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he's certainly making it count.

The Colorado Avalanche face their biggest task yet in the Stanley Cup Final looking to close out the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 on the road.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (25) tries to control the puck from the ice during the second period in Game 5 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Denver. It's back to the slushy ice of Amalie Arena for the Colorado Avalanche after they failed to close out the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning overpowered Colorado with tougher physicality, clogged the neutral zone and once again relied on goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's firebolt reflexes to counter Colorado's superior speed in a 3-2 victory in Game 5 on Friday night at Ball Arena. Neither did the calls as the Lightning knocked the Avalanche around, with or without the puck on their sticks. Tampa Bay went with four forwards when Avalanche star Cale Makar was whistled for tripping in the second period during a 4-on-4 skate.

The Colorado Avalanche were stymied in their quest to close out the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning spoiled Colorado’s party and they are still in the hunt for a third straight Stanley Cup title after beating the Avalanche 3-2 in Game 5.

Nazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime — perhaps with too many Colorado players on the ice — and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning.

Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s no secret Tampa Bay has played more hockey over the past two years than any other team in the NHL.

The fast-flying Colorado Avalanche have zoomed out to a 2-0 series lead over Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) looks up after a fight during the third period in Game 2 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver. “He’s been our backbone for years and years and years and we owe it to him to have a better game next game. And this marked the biggest shutout in a Stanley Cup Final since Pittsburgh's 8-0 win over the North Stars in 1991. “This is a championship-caliber team,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson said of the Lightning. I think they’re patient and they’ll adjust and they kind of let things go and I think that’s what’s made them so successful.

The Tampa Bay Lightning shrugged off their overtime loss to Colorado in the opener of the Stanley Cup Final.

Stanley Cup Lightning Avalanche Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) jumps over Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (6) during the second period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)DENVER — (AP) — Minutes after losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in overtime, Patrick Maroon scoffed at the idea that it was some sort of gut punch to the Tampa Bay Lightning. We just got to refocus and be ready for Game 2.”Few teams in recent NHL history are better at doing that, which is why the Lightning are unfazed about trailing the Colorado Avalanche. Tampa Bay, after all, had roared back from a 3-1 first-period deficit to tie the opener before Andre Burakovsky's overtime winner. While the Lightning will need to improve their play, most notably how they start, their mentality is now their biggest advantage.

The Tampa Bay Lightning say they are unfazed after losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche are expected to stick with goaltender Darcy Kuemper in goal for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

For much of the game it looked as if the Colorado Avalanche and not the Tampa Bay Lightning were the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have made it to the NHL Finals for the third year.

The Stanley Cup Final is a showdown between the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the high-scoring Colorado Avalanche.

And (the media) can discuss if it’s a big part or if it’s a little part,” the Lightning captain added. The Lightning are trying to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Islanders won four straight titles from 1980-83. “He’s got to score, he’s got to lead, he’s got to be the face of the franchise,” Cooper added. He appeared in just one game, logging 2:42 of ice time — yet still scored a goal — in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against Dallas. Cooper, who has the Lightning in the Cup Final for the fourth time, couldn’t be happier for him.

At 32 and wrapping up his 14th season, Steven Stamkos is no longer one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers or even the second- or third-best player on his own team.

Stamkos called the Avalanche “probably the best team in the league” and knows the Lightning will have their hands full slowing down the offensive juggernaut that leads the postseason in scoring. It’s perhaps the biggest challenge yet for the Lightning since this unprecedented run of playoff success in the salary cap era began two years ago. The Lightning are looking to become the first to three-peat since the New York Islanders won the Cup four times in a row from 1980-83. San Jose’s Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist and many others only reached the final once. It is well-established for the Lightning, to the point Stamkos brought it up unprompted Saturday night and sounded just like Messier.

The two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning face the best in the West Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Wednesday in Denver.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year after beating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning know what type of effort it will take to finish off the New York Rangers.

Ondrej Palat scored with 42 seconds left and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday to cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to 2-1.

Lightning Rangers Hockey New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a save in the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, June 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (John Minchillo)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — There’s no panic in the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are down 2-0 to the New York Rangers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal but remain confident they have what it takes to climb back into the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Sunday at Amalie Arena after the Rangers dominated the first two games at home. The Rangers are two wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, but don’t want to get head of themselves.

There’s no panic in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The New York Rangers’ third line has been making valuable contributions all season, and the trio’s success in Game 1 against Tampa Bay is a big reason the team finally has a lead during a postseason series.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has won a Vezina Trophy and two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Florida Panthers center Joe Thornton (19) ongratulates Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper after the Lightning eliminated the Panthers during Game 4 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series Monday, May 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)SUNRISE, Fla. — (AP) — Joe Thornton’s career may be over. Thornton has played 1,714 games — sixth most in regular-season history — with San Jose, Boston, Toronto and now the Panthers. Thornton appeared in 34 games with the Panthers this season, scoring five goals and adding five assists. Thornton played in only one playoff game with the Panthers, that being the series finale against the Lightning. “I think the world of Joe Thornton,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.

Joe Thornton’s career may be over.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth time in eight years after sweeping the Florida Panthers in four games.

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference final.

The Panthers, the league’s top team during the regular season, say there’s still a lot of fight left in them. Ross Colton’s goal with 3.8 seconds remaining won Game 2. To come back and win the best-of-seven series, Florida will have to take four of five games from the defending champs over the next week. “We are in the history books, and we’re going to go down as two-time champs. The Hurricanes won the first two games to improve to 6-0 at home in the playoffs going back to their seven-game first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

The Tampa Bay Lightning don’t want to get ahead of themselves in their bid to become the first team in 40 years to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Andrei Vasilevskiy remained red-hot with 34 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning topped the Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The New York Rangers will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Comebacks are hard to come back so far in the NHL playoffs after they were so commonplace during the regular season.

The NHL playoffs are missing the close games and comebacks that seemingly comes annually with all the postseason intensity.

So much for the notion that goals are hard to come by in the playoffs.

For a team accustomed to winning — not only the Stanley Cup the past two years but in the regular season at a high level — it has been a challenging few weeks. After coaching Tampa Bay on several long runs, missing the postseason entirely, enduring a stunning first-round sweep and then hoisting the Cup twice, Jon Cooper understands the answer won’t be clear until after the regular season. With that comes fatigue but also the perspective of what the regular season means in the grand scheme of trying to win a championship. The experience of that series undoubtedly played some role in Tampa Bay winning it all the past two years. Cooper called it a “pivotal” game, and a few more like it stand in the way before Tampa Bay can even try for the three-peat.

The Tampa Bay Lightning haven't been through struggles like this in many years.

Marc-Andre Fleury may have been the biggest winner at the NHL trade deadline.

Anthony Duclair scored twice, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and four assists, and the Florida Panthers romped to a 9-3 rout of the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ondrej Palat scored 36 seconds into overtime after Tampa Bay teammate Corey Perry tied it late in the third period, and the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the first NHL game following an extended holiday break.

The Washington Capitals-Philadelphia Flyers game scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed.

Tampa Bay also got goals from Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Taylor Raddysh picked up his first NHL point, coming in his eighth game, by assisting on Point's goalBrett Leason got his first NHL goal and Conor Sheary also scored for the the Capitals, who came in 5-0-3. Washington star Alex Ovechkin had his season-opening eight-game point streak (nine goals, six assists) end. Killorn and Cirelli had second-period goals as Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead. Leason scored 1:13 into the game when his shot from the right wing boards was redirected past Vasilevskiy off Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman’s stick.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Washington 3-2 to end the Capitals’ eight-game season-opening point streak.

Tristan Jarry had 26 saves, Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle scored early second-period goals, and the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in the regular-season opener.

Panthers Lightning Hockey Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper watches during the third period of the team's preseason NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) (Phelan M. Ebenhack)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Jon Cooper to a three-year extension through the 2024-25 season, rewarding their coach after the team won consecutive Stanley Cup titles. Cooper has been behind bench with the Lightning since March 2013, and the team has made five appearances in the Eastern Conference Final. It has played in the Stanley Cup Final three times over the past seven seasons. The Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup title in five games over the Dallas Stars. ___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Jon Cooper to a three-year extension through the 2024-25 season, rewarding their coach after the team won consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

The NHL and international officials are now in wait-and-see mode after reaching an agreement to send players to the Beijing Olympics this winter.

NHL players are going back to the Olympics.

“Now it’s fast and furious trying to figure out what they can get done.”And not much time to do it. Lawton, now an NHL Network analyst, said it's going to feel like the shortest offseason in league history. This offseason is a big opportunity for teams to chart a course to attempt to follow the Lightning as Stanley Cup champions. “Everyone understands the reality.”For the Lightning and 31 other NHL teams, the reality is everything will happen fast. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Expect a fast and furious NHL offseason to unfold in the coming days and weeks.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after backstopping the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup for a second consecutive year.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.

Nikita Kucherov has led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship by doing a little bit of everything.

(Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP) (Ryan Remiorz)Alexander Romanov played 54 games during the regular season for the Montreal Canadiens. Facing elimination at home Monday in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning might finally be the impetus for coach Dominique Ducharme to shake up his lineup and bring in fresh legs. Of particular concern is the Canadiens' inability to match the Lightning's physicality in an effort to wear down the defending champions. Assuming Tampa Bay closes this out, Joseph would be one of the 52 names on the Stanley Cup. Work ethic.”___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Of course, the Canadiens have felt this way before, looking outclassed in the semifinal opener against Vegas before roaring back and winning in six games. Cooper and his team will also need to adjust to Montreal's adjustments and will rely on a mature approach to playoff hockey. “(We are) trying to get to the strength of our game as much as possible and wear teams down over the course of a long series,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. They did last year in the final falling behind to Dallas and last round against the New York Islanders. Tampa Bay players have said on multiple occasions the Canadiens are “here for a reason” and that they won't underestimate the opponent standing in their way of a second Cup championship.

Lightning Islanders Hockey Fans cheer as Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) reacts after New York Islanders' Anthony Beauvillier scored a goal during the overtime period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey semifinals Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II)TAMPA, Fla. — (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost consecutive postseason games in over two years and haven’t faced a winner-take-all challenge since 2018. Neither streak will mean anything when the defending Stanley Cup champions face the New York Islanders in Game 7 of the NHL semifinals on Friday night. You play all year to get to this point,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “I can’t guarantee the result,” the Tampa Bay coach said.

Florida was second in the Central Division, Tampa Bay third. “I think we made giant strides over the course of the year, from this year to last year,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. He missed the entire regular season with a hip injury. “The big thing for me is to not sit here and say ‘Kucherov is coming back, like all problems are solved,’” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We haven’t had our full team,” Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh said.

The Tampa Bay Lightning started three Black forwards in their regular-season finale against the Florida Panthers on Monday night, a rarity in NHL history — if not an absolute first. “First of all, they’re all in the NHL for a reason,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. Florida forward Anthony Duclair, who is Black, said he noticed it in the Panthers’ locker room pregame and was moved. Smith was in his fifth game of the season and Joseph has been in the lineup for all 56 Tampa Bay games in 2020-21. ... Coop did something really special here to promote this for young kids.”___AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

Five games into the season, the Lightning have been wildly inconsistent. They continue on the road with games against the Canadiens on Tuesday and the Bruins on Thursday that demand improved play. A team loses some games when it and the opponent play well and the opponent gets the edge. Disappointed.The Lightning had consistency issues last season, but those were more about lapses during games. He then praised the group after the Toronto win, saying thats what the Lightning can do when they control play with their skating and intensity.